Railway signal-lantern



I (No Model.)

JLW. 01.0111). A

RAILWAY SIGNAL LANTERN.

No. 355,438. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.-

N. PEYERS. vnalwmlw n her, Wnsh'mglon. DJ;

Unrrnn 7 dramas JOHN W. CLOUD, or ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SlGhlAb-LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,438, dated January, 1887,

Application tiled April 20, 1856. Serial No. 309,549. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN XV. CLOUD, of Altoona, Blair county, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Signal-Lanterns, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the construction of railway signal-lanterns, especially such as are attached to the outside of cars or locomotives and are exposed to violent drafts and to dust and grit; and its object is to construct the lantern so that it may be readily turned on its base to display lights of different colors wit-l out leaving any cracks or orifices through which air can enter the lantern except the regular air-supply conduits, and generally to improve, strengthen, and cheapen the lantern.

Reference being now had to the drawings,

which show a lantern made, in accordance formed in or secured to thelantern-base.

View of my improved lantern.

with my invention, Figure l is a perspective Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the lantern on the line as x of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line yy of Fig.2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line a z of Fig. 2.

A is'the frame or body of the lantern; B, an annular metal ring, made perfectly smooth and cylindrical inside, and having an annular flange, B, formed on its outer surface, to which the lantern -frame A is securely attached. The ring B,,as shown, has also a box, B, cast or formed with it.

O is the bottom or base of the lantern, at the topof which there is, first, a flat annular surface, (l, upon which the ring .13 can rest, and then a cylindrical projection, vG forming a close fit and bearing for the ring, and at about half the height of the ring )3 this cylinder terminates in the inwardly-extending flange O.

D is a bracket or arm attached to the lantern-botton1 G, and by which the lantern is secured to the car, engine, or other'place where it is vwanted for use.

E is a spring-catch secured to the ring 13, and adapted to engage with retaining devices Its object is to provide a means of holding the lantern in any desired position corresponding to the lenses used. As shown, the catch E is secured in the box B", and engages with holes 6 e in the cylindrical projection G.

- F is a metal plate formed to fit upon the flange G, to which it is secured by screws,

J rivets, or other devlcesf. It is continued up-' ward in the form of a cylinder, F, of the same diameter as 0%, and to a height which will bring it to or a little above the top of thering B, and it is thenturned outward, forming the G is a screen and reflector of snfflcientsize to sufficiently screen one of the two lanternlenses from the light, its concave inner surface being bright, so that it will strengthen the beam of light thrown through the open lens. This screen must be secured to the stationary part or base of the lantern, and should preferably be inside of the frame, as shown, though it will of course be operative both as a screen cowl.

N N are the conduits through which air is supplied for the lamp. They have openings anat the top to admit the air and openings]? at the bottom, through which the air escapes into the lantern after passing vertically downward.

In putting my improved lantern together the body A may first be secured to the ring B, which is then slipped over the cylinder 0 and allowed to rest upon the annular surface 0. The plate F, with its attached screen G, is then inserted in the lantern, its cylinder F filling the upper part of the ring 13, and the flange O and plate F are then secured together and in proper position by the'fastenings f.

' The ring B and the lanternbody secured to it will turn freely upon the cylinders 03 and F, which at the same time, together with the flanges O and F effectively secure it' against displacement or tipping and unite the body and bottom of the lantern securely together, the joint being so close and of so tortuousa form that no appreciable amount of air can enter the lantern through it.

As shown in the drawings, the bottom 0 is made of sheet metal, which Iprefer to use, though, if desired, the bottom 0 and plate F may of course be cast and their cylindrical.

portions turned to the proper dimensions and smoothness to form a neat-fitting bearing for the ring B.

In the foregoing description I have, to make it easy to follow it on the drawings, spoken of the diiferent parts as having the relative dimensions and projections there shown; but in many instances these are by no means essential. Thus the bearingsurface for thering-B, as shown, consists of the two cylindrical projections (3 and F, of about equal size; but it is obvious that either of these may be enlarged at the expense of the other and to such an extent that the whole cylindrical part of the bearing may be made up of either the one or the other. If the cylinder 0 is enlarged to this extent, the only essential part of the retaining-plate F F F will be theflange F, between which and the flange O the ring B is held.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signal-lantern, substantially as described, the combination of the lantern-body secured toan annular ring, a base having an upwardly extending cylindrical projection forming a bearing for said ring, a retainingplate adapted to be secured to the base and hold the ring in place upon its bearing-cylinhold the ring in place upon its bearing-cylinder, a screen secured to the base and adapted to close one of the lantern-lenses, and a catch or stop whereby the lantern may be retained;

in the desired angular position upon its base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a signal-lantern, substantially as described, the combination of the annular ring B, having a flange, B, to which the lanternbody is secured, the base 0, having a cylindrical projection, G forming a bearing for the ring B, the cylindrical flanged plate F F F, forming the continuation of the bearing for ring B, and also a retaining device to secure it to the base, the screen G,- secured to the plate F, and a catch to hold the lantern in position, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

J N O. W. CLOUD.

W'itnesses:

BENJ. JOHNSTON, E. J. OASSIDY. 

